1. Field
A negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, due to reductions in size and weight of portable electronic equipment, there has been a need to develop rechargeable lithium batteries for portable electronic equipment that have both high performance and large capacity.
Oxides that include lithium and transition elements and are capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions, for example, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNi1-xCoxO2 (0<x<1) and the like, have been used as positive active materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. As for negative active materials for a rechargeable lithium battery, various carbon-based materials such as artificial graphite, natural graphite, and hard carbon, which intercalate and deintercalate lithium ions, have been used.
A rechargeable lithium battery including the above-described positive and negative active materials has stability and safety problems, because the positive and negative electrodes become thermally unstable, depending on the charge state of the battery, at a temperature of greater than or equal to 25° C., and thus, the positive and negative active materials, electrolyte salt, and an organic solvent of the battery are decomposed.
In addition, due to an increasing demand for higher capacity batteries, it has become more difficult to provide higher battery stability and safety.